Rural mailbox indicator flag



Aug- 27, 1957 J. P. MANcUso 2,804,262

RURAL MAILBox INDICATOR FLAG Filed June 6, 1955 Fig. 6

/4 Y. Y //2 H20 Joseph P. Mancuso INVENTOR.

WWW W4@ United States Patent Y 42,804,262 RURAL MArLBox lNmcAroR FLAG.'oseph P. Mancuso, Jamesburg, N. J., assignor of onefifth` to John E.Herche and one-fifth to Earl E. Collins, both of Jamesburg, N. J.

Application June 6, 1955, Serial No. 513,472V 3 Claims. (c1. 232-35) Thepresent invention relates to a signalling ag which is expressly designedand s'uitably adapted for use on a side wall of the usual rural freedelivery mailbox opposite to the conventionally used ag, Ithat is, theilag which is set up by the resident owner to notify the mail carrierthat outgoing mail has been placed in the box for pick-up.

The art to which the invention relates is quite active. Many and variedstyles and forms of so-called signalling flags have been offered foruse, some for outgoing mail and others for incoming mail and perhapscombinations of the two. The obvious object of the invention here is toprovide a novelly constructed and eiectually operable flag which isprimarily helpful to -the resident owner in that it `provides positiveindication when the mailbox door has been opened, constitutes a visiblesignal capable of being seen from a distance and thus saving needlesstrips of the residents of the house to the often empty mailbox.

In the belief that the signalling flag here revealed is an appreciableand practical advance in the art, it will be seen that its adoption anduse will, for these reasons, comply with the ordinary manufacturingrequirements of manufacturers, will not require the time of the mailcarrier to bring the signal into play, and will therefore mutually servethe purposes of all concerned directly or indirectly therewith.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention, a stop iinger,which constitutes a keeper, is aiixed on the marginal portion of theusual downwardly swinging cover. A weighted arm is pivoted intermediateits ends on the side wall of the box and provided with a xed signal orHag, and the flag-equipped end is provided with a freely pivoting latchwhich also functions as the means for holding as well as tripping theweighted arm and bringing the same into flag displaying position.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparentfrom the following description and the accompanying sheet of drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate likeparts throughout the Views:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a box with the automaticallyactuatable auxiliary signalling flag showing its construction and use;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the signallingdevice in its normal down but ready-tooperate position and also showing,in dotted lines, how it cornes into play;

Figure 3 is a section on the vertical line 3-3 of Figure 2 looking inthe direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective View of certain of the details;and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view showing how the selfpivoting latch tripsitself (in full lines) and automatically resets itself (in dotted lines)with the door Still closed and, in fact, without having to open the doorto accomplish this resetting step.

Referring now to the drawings, the conventional rural free deliverymailbox is denoted as an entity by the numeral 6. lt includes the usualbottom and side and end `rice Walls. The customary signalling flagindicative of outgoing mail is provided, but is not shown here.

It is mounted on the vertical wall opposite that .on which the addedsignal is provided. The latter wall is denoted by the numeral 8 and theconventional hingedly mounted door is denoted by the numeral 1t). Aso-called bracket 1 the projecting end portion 18 is the operatingelement.

There is a similar side `bracket which is U-shaped, and this is denotedby the numeral and it is fastened to the sidewall at the desired place.The aforementioned 1 arm is linearly straight and is' denoted by thenumeral 22, and it is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends, as

at 24, onthe bight portion of the bracket. The end portion 26 of the armis provided with a right angularly disposed iixedly mounted signallingflag 28. This is preferably colored red, but may be of some other colorso as not to conflict with the usual red flag.

It is also perforated, and the perforations are denoted at 30. From adistance, theV over-al1 appearance or effect of the iiag is that of asolid flag. At the same time, it will permit some snow and sleet to passthrough the holes and make the device less likely to foul. The longerend portion 32 of the arm is provided with a counterweight 34. Theterminal end adjacent the projecting finger 38, that is, the end portion36, is provided with a substantially triangular member which may bedescribed as a latch 38. This is superimposed on the end portion 36 andis pivoted thereto at 40 so that the corner portion 42 swings upunderneath the adjacent overhanging porti-on of the flag whereby the agbecomes a limiting stop. By using a simple wedge-shaped latch 38, theconstruction and mode of production and assembling is simplified. Theflag, as is clear, serves to prevent the latch from dipping backwardpast dead center and also to prevent the latch from overriding when thelatch is in the stop position. When the latch is in the position shownin Figure 2, it will be seen that it underlies the edge of the operatingfinger 18. Hence, when the mailman opens the door to place mail in thebox and the door swings down, it causes the finger to sweep beyond theposition of the latch whereupon the weight 32 cornes into play andswings the arm and its flag to the erect signalling position shown inthe drawings.

Reverting to the operational phases of the disclosure, it will be clearthat Figures l and 2 illustrate the normal position of the latch-heldliag in full lines at which time the flag is down; whereas, the upsignalling position is depicted in dotted lines in Figure 2. Withreference again to Figure 5, this brings out another feature of theinvention in that it clearly reveals the fact that the socalledself-pivoting latch 38 permits resetting of the invention with the doorclosed, and therefore does not require opening of the door to permit thelatch to clear the stop linger 18. So, in Figure 5, it is to be assumedthat the flag is being returned in the direction of the arrow A to theresetting position with the latch 38 clearing the stop finger andturning on its pivot 48 and after clearing the stop finger assuming itsnormal or righted position, as illustrated in dotted lines in thisfigure.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

l. In combination, a mailbox having an open front end and a complementaloutwardly and downwardly swingable hingedly mounted closing door forsaid open end, said `box also `having vat least-,one vertical side wall,a linearly straight arm pivotally-mountedk intermediate its ends'on` andexteriorly of said side wall and providedat its` rearward end with1 aweight, lthe forward end of, said arm being provided with a`laterallydisposed, signaling Hag, a latchpivotally mountedon saidyforward end of the arm and having one` end underlying and engaging saidflag, the latter serving as an abutment for said latch, and al nger xedon and projecting Vbeyond themarginal edge portion of said `doorandreleasablyengageable with the adjacent end portion ofv saidlatch.

`2. In combination, amailbox embodyingy a vertical` side wall and* openat its front andphavingy a hingedfoutwardlyand downwardly swingingclosing door forsaid open front, a bracket iXedly'mounted on said sidewall, an arm pivotally mounted between its. ends on said bracket, therear portion of the'arr'n having aiweight, the forward end portion ofthearm having a rigid ag 21tr tached thereto and extending at right anglestherefrom, a latch superimposed on the forward end portion of said armand having one end underlying and releasably, engageable with said flag,and a` keeper ringer mountedon said door and cooperable with the otherend of said latch.

3. In combination, a mailbox embodying a vertical sidewalland open atits front and having a hingedoutwardly and downwardly swinging closingdoor for said open front, a bracket xedly mounted on said side wall, anarm pivotally mounted between its ends on `said bracket, the rearportion of the arm having a weight, the forward end portion of the armhaving a rigid flag attached thereto and extending at right anglestherefrom,

a latch superimposed upon the forward end portion of said` a'rrn and'having its rearward end pivotally mounted on said arm and adapted to`underlie said flag with the flag serving as an abutment and limitingstop for the h latch, thefgrward end portion of the latch projectingbeyond the forward end of the arm and being beveled downwardly, and: akeeper finger mounted on said door and having an end portion adapted toreleasably overlie the upper edge portion of said latch.

`R`etc,e,lel,1 ces Citedin theile of this patent VUNITED STATES, PATENTS2,600,267*A Ruscito June 10, 1952

